MANILA: The Philippines has signalled a softened stance towards an International Criminal Court ( ICC ) investigation into thousands of killings in a “war on drugs”, a probe activists hope will see popular ex-president Rodrigo Duterte face charges of crimes against humanity. The “war on drugs” was the signature promotionContinue Reading
RAIPUR, India : A court in India has sentenced five men to death for the horrible gang rape and murder of a student as well as the shooting of her parents and toddler-aged daughter. The crime was committed in January 2021 when the people offered the girl and her familyContinue Reading
Nineteen testimony including four family members and 11 medical workers were interviewed, he said.
“We found that the jobs carried out were as specified in the list of jobs and job descriptions, with nothing extending beyond her range or outside her area of duties, ” added Borhan, a former director-general of Public Service.
Commenting on Tay’s shift to Sabah, Borhan said Tay was a “city girl” who had moved to a new place with a distinct culture all by herself, reported Free Malaysia Now.
He said there was no proof that an app to get posted to West Malaysia was ignored and Tay did not report any appeal with the state health department or ministry’s human resources department to be in the island.
Tay’s walk from the better-resourced Kuala Lumpur Hospital to Lahad Datu Hospital in Sabah contributed tremendously to the stress and pressure she faced, said Dzulkefly.
“According to the experts leading the committee, the bullying claims did not meet the definition of abuse but were related to elements such as severe work force that mentally affected the later Dr Tay, ” he said, as quoted by Malay Mail.
The minister said the taskforce’s findings have been conveyed to Tay’s family.
“That’s the finding ( after ) three months ( of ) investigation, ” Tay’s brother, YS Tay, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday as he shared a Chinese-language news outlet’s post.
“ I fully understand how difficult it must be for the family to process these findings, ” Dzulkefly said, adding that he is committed to addressing bullying in the workplace.
The independent task force has also submitted several recommendations to the health ministry, including for the provision of better support for healthcare workers posted away from home to help them adapt to different cultures and environments, said Borhan.
A 2023 review by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found China’s building exercise buried more than 1,861ha of coral. The economic debate has become another battleground in a long-running regional row between China and US alliance the Philippines, which has seen repeated clashes between vessels over disputed capabilitiesContinue Reading
WASHINGTON : India is prepared to take back its individuals residing illegally in the United States, foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has said after meeting the best minister of President Donald Trump’s new leadership. Jaishankar’s remarks came after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on TuesdayContinue Reading
BANGKOK: Air pollution forced nearly 200 schools in Bangkok to close on Thursday ( Jan 23 ), local authorities said, as officials urged people to work from home and restricted heavy vehicles in the city. Annual air pollution has much afflicted Thailand, like many countries in the region, as warmer,Continue Reading
Masahiro Nakai, one of Japan’s top TV hosts and a former pop star, said Thursday ( Jan 23 ) he was retiring to take responsibility over sexual assault allegations that are part of a wave roiling Japan’s entertainment industry and have triggered an avalanche of lost advertising at one of the networks where he worked.
Weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported in December that Nakai had reached a 90 million yen ( US$ 580,000 ) settlement with a woman over the alleged sex assault at a 2023 dinner party that Fuji TV staff allegedly helped to organise. He acknowledged “a problems” and a arrangement, while denying any crime, in a speech earlier this month. The newspaper has even alleged that Fuji Television has long exploited its female presenters to amuse superstars like Nakai.
“I, Masahiro Nakai, is retiring from pleasure activity as of today, ” Nakai said in a statement distributed to his paid lover team and posted on social media by evident people. Japanese media likewise confirmed and reported his pension.
“ I am truly sorry for causing trouble and losses to so many people, ” Nakai said, and repeated his “sincere apology ” to the woman. “ I’m really, really sad for saying good-bye this approach… Sayonara. ”
Japan’s entertainment business is in the midst of a flood of sexual assault cases, including the crimes of plenty of boys and young men by later skills mogul Johnny Kitagawa, whose now-defunct company Johnny & Associates managed some child songs, including the one to which Nakai belonged, SMAP.
Last Friday, Fuji TV President Koichi Minato acknowledged the firm had been aware of the problem six weeks before the newspaper review and hadn’t disclosed it. Minato apologised and said Fuji TV would investigate the case but also said he believed his people had never done anything wrong.
After lots of advertisements were withdrawn, Fuji TV apologised for causing problems to publishers and companies but declined to disclose information.
Following owners ‘ demands for further explanation about the incident and actions the organization had taken and what actions are planned, Fuji was set to have a specific board meeting after Thursday.
Nakai said in his speech that he has sorted out all discussions of terminating his exhibits and deals with television, radio and partners. He said he has still to taken all his duty and promised to “face several problems and answer sincerely”.
Fuji Television Network’s vice-chairperson Ryunosuke Endo, who is also head of Japanese commercial broadcasters ’ association, in a televised live news conference Thursday noted Nakai’s retirement was his “personal decision ” but said Nakai was part of the upcoming investigation and that he hoped for his sincere cooperation.
MANILA : Former Muslim rebels ambushed government troops assigned to escort UN staff visiting the southern Philippines, killing two soldiers and wounding 12 others, the military said on Thursday ( Jan 23 ). Wednesday’s attack came more than 10 years after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( MILF ) signedContinue Reading
HANOI : Taiwanese authorities said they had arrested five persons and smashed a money-laundering band that brought US$ 1. 2 billion ( S$ 1. 6 billion ) of legal money into the state from abroad. Between 2022 and 2024, members of the band- which included banks employees- forged identifying cardsContinue Reading
JAKARTA: Trillions of rupiah channelled by Indonesia’s central bank to some lawmakers under a corporate social responsibility ( CSR ) programme were allegedly misused, said the country ’s anti-graft agency.
“We are talking about trillions ( of rupiah ) but the exact amount will be announced later, ” said Asep Guntur, producer of studies at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Tuesday ( Jan 21 ), as quoted by news agency CNN Indonesia. One trillion dirhams is equivalent to US$ 61. 55 million.
KPK’s Asep said its research focuses on whether the money were misappropriated or used for the expected CSR programs.
“If the funds were used properly for CSR programs, such as building of school houses, then there is no problem, but we have signs of abuse, ” Asep was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe.
The politicians are members of the House of Representatives or DPR, one of two appointed chambers of the People’s Consultative Assembly, which is the federal government of Indonesia.
The DPR has 11 earnings and those involved in the Bank Indonesia bribery probe are apparently members of Commission XI, which oversees financing issues, national development planning and the financial services sector of the country.
The KPK has no named any suspects however. But several lawmakers and central bank officials have been questioned, including National Democratic Party ( NasDem ) politician Satori.
Satori apparently admitted to receiving money from Bank Indonesia to fund social programmes for components in his political city after he was questioned on Dec 27.
He also claimed that all members from Commission XI had in fact received similar funds through a foundation.
KPK’s Asep, however, told CNN Indonesia that Satori had allegedly misused the funds in his electoral district of Cirebon in West Java.
The anti-graft agency, which raided Bank Indonesia’s Jakarta headquarters and the office of central bank governor Perry Warjiyo on Dec 16, plans to release further details as the investigation progresses.
The agency first said in September last year it was investigating CSR programmes run in 2023 by the country ’s financial regulators, including the central bank, for potential misuse of funds, according to media reports.
“For example, ( if we find that ) only 50 per cent of the CSR fund was used ( for social programmes ) and the remaining 50 per cent was not used, the remaining 50 per cent could have been used for personal gain, ” Asep said at the time.